July 26th, 2010
by Ed Graziano, Corporate Event Interactive
As some of our regular readers and contributors may have noticed we changed our blog’s name from “The Strategic Business Value of Meetings and Events” blog to the “Energize Your Meetings & Events” blog. This is not because we do not see the strategic value in meetings (and events), but instead at the core we understand that our team’s biggest contribution to the meetings and events industry is to add energy to programs – keeping participants actively engaged so they can gain knowledge, network with their peers and enjoy the overall meeting or event experience.
Whether you host or plan meetings (or events), supply products or services for meetings, or you work at a venue, the Energize Your Meetings & Events blog will have value for you!
Please note we continue to welcome posts from our contributors, comments from our readers and suggestions from everyone.
Thank you for your support of our efforts and we look forward to hearing from you!
Posted in Blogs | No Comments »
July 6th, 2010
by Jeff Hurt, Velvet Chainsaw
When was the last time you visited a museum?
Nina Simon‘s Complicity, Intimacy, Community post about fostering personal relationships with visitors in small and large spaces brought back a flood of memories of some of my museum experiences. You should read it and then come back here. Go ahead, I’ll be here when you finish.
My Museum Experiences In My Twenties
In my twenties, I had the pleasure of helping Dallas Natural History Museum plan and create some exhibits. I was a docent, trainer and event professional in addition to my day job. I hosted many weekend sleepovers for groups of 30, 50 and 100 kids in that museum. Yeah, what was I thinking? Actually, it was awesomesauce for sure. Ok, I digress.
I recall one experience of working on an environmental exhibit about garbage, trash and recycling. As a content expert (I was known as the Garbage Guru back then) and educator, my task was to help the designers dream up large, hands-on interactive exhibits. Those exhibits were to serve as focal points that entertained, educated and allowed multiple people to play with them at one time. These were not to be the typical poster or 3-D mannequin exhibits. They were to be participatory to increase memory retention and learning.
Applying Museum Exhibit Design Thoughts To Meetings
During those brainstorming sessions, the museum exhibit designers taught me a lot. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Meetings, Participation, Trade Shows | No Comments »
June 15th, 2010
by Ed Graziano, Corporate Event Interactive
Having produced interactive and team experiences for meetings and events for 20+ years I have seen and participated in a lot of prize raffles and giveaways at events. But at a networking reception last week, with a completely stuffed raffle drum and attendees feverously separating more raffle tickets to enter the drawing, it was the first time I spent quality time considering the value of prize raffles and giveaways at events. It was also at that moment that I realized that probably 95% of events I have ever attended offered some type of prize raffle or “swag” for attending.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Prizes and Raffles | 1 Comment »
June 7th, 2010
by Ed Graziano, Corporate Event Interactive
Excuse me for a moment as I open up for discussion the question that has been burning in our office and with many others in the industry – Why? Why is a blog on the “Strategic Value of Meetings & Events” or similar blogs in the industry important when everyone is so busy with work, or trying to obtain work? And by the sure quantity of blogs that exist, does anyone really have time to digest more than a couple of them?
Or does blogging in the meetings and events industry need to be legitimized or can it just be an exercise in personal communication, thought/idea gathering or venting?
Typically I would add a bullet point list below of the reasons why I think blogging in the event and meeting industry is of great value. But instead I am going to leave this question open for discussion. I am very interested in your thoughts and opinions and also if there are blogs that exist currently that you find are valuable resources for you.
I look forward to your thoughts!
Thank You – Ed
Posted in Blogs | 5 Comments »
May 10th, 2010
by Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International
After the Wall Street Meltdown, many companies took a predictable approach and cut all team building as a “discretionary expense”. The AIG Effect was the final nail in the coffin. Afraid of possible fallout due to “optics”, even companies that were doing well felt it prudent to put team building initiatives on ice. This is unfortunate as, during a recession and its aftermath, team building is even MORE important than during good times. Why? During a recession and the fragile recovery that follows it, the margin for error is narrow. It is more important than ever to:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Incentive Trips, Productivity, Team Building | 1 Comment »
April 27th, 2010
by Ed Graziano, Corporate Event Interactive
There are many decisions for a planner to make when hosting a team program for a company meeting or retreat. These decisions include selecting the right teambuilding company or facilitator, finding the right venue, deciding on the best program activity and understanding what participants should “walk away with”; such as making new connections, or better understanding everyone’s role within the team.
Often lost in this process is deciding if a program should be run competitively or non-competitively. It is a misconception to think that a competitive group will only do well within a competitive environment. These groups actually are often the ones that would benefit the most from an opportunity to work together on an activity or project run non-competitively, where the entire group wins by participating. The insight that a team’s collaborative efforts helps the entire group succeed is often more valuable than knowing their team can “beat” other teams in a particular challenge.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Team Building | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2010
by Eva Niewiadomski, Catalyst Ranch
This blog was originally written and posted by Blogger Harvey Chimoff on September 16, 2009. Harvey Chirnoff is a cross-functional marketing leader who relies on a special blend of pragmatic strategy, vision, organization, and action to achieve marketing and business results. Contact Harvey at hchimoff@att.net. Click here to see the original blog:
I’m always intrigued by companies that are able to promote and market without direct price cuts, especially during a time of declining demand.
The recession has wiped out a large amount of business travel, particularly international travel, and those who are still allowed to get their passports stamped find themselves traveling coach, even on long overseas flights. This poses a significant problem for airlines who make excellent margins on high-paying business travelers, especially those in business and even first class. And online meeting tools such as WebEx and GoToMeeting are making it easier for remote productivity. What to do?
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Strategy | 1 Comment »
April 12th, 2010
by Janet Elkins, EventWorks, Inc.
Here at EventWorks we are a multi-generational and multi-cultural crew. Each in our own way we try to stay informed about our industry and economic trends in general as best we can. Besides this blog, we read trade magazines, weeklies, dailies and more. We follow television and social media. But for all of us, balancing time between “real” production work and ongoing research and learning efforts poses a challenge. We need more than 24 hours in a day.
As an original Mid-Westerner I have come to appreciate the tweets of fellow Chicagoan Barry Moltz, entrepreneur, public speaker and book author. Barry travels to many conferences in many different industries and shares his findings on Facebook and Twitter as well as his website, www.barrymoltz.com.
According to his bio, he has “founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 15 years.” He also authored three successful books about business and his most comforting theory espouses the idea that business ups and downs are part of life. We just have to learn how to BOUNCE”. Following his tweets has allowed me to stay informed in 140 characters or less.
Barry just returned from SXSW in Austin, Texas. I checked in with him by phone to specifically ask for advice for the event industry.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Productivity, Strategy | No Comments »
April 1st, 2010
by Ed Graziano, Corporate Event Interactive
While meetings are valuable for providing training, conveying company content and motivating “the team,” what is often forgotten is the sheer power that meetings have to create and enhance relationships. If at a meeting of 100 participants, each person creates or strengthens five relationships, the meeting is responsible for upwards of 500 stronger relationships within a company. That is powerful stuff and is often overlooked when a meeting is being evaluated or its ROI (return on investment) is being discussed.
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Posted in Meetings, Results Measurement | No Comments »
March 29th, 2010
by Travis Himstedt, Corporate Event Interactive
An important part of business development involves leadership training because developing the right kind of leaders leads to profitability and sustainability for organizations. With MBA programs offering classes on leadership, consultants at every turn and countless books about it on the shelves, leadership training is a billion dollar industry. Obviously, there is a desire for organizations to foster the talents of their future leaders. But how do they do it?
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Productivity, Staff, Team Building | No Comments »
